System and method for processing requirements in erp and hris

ABSTRACT

A system and method for processing requirements in an enterprise resource planning (ERP)/human resources information system (HRIS)/human capital management (HCM) are disclosed. The system comprises a computing device having a processor and a computer-readable medium to store a set of instructions executed by the processor, a database for storing a plurality of requirements from the documents or spreadsheets, and a user virtual machine device to perform different tasks across different modules of ERP/HRIS/HCM. The processor maps the configuration requirements to an ERP/HRIS/HCM instance and provides ability to configure, validate, compare against different environments/instances, and test at the speed, frequency, and with precision provided the scale of complexity within configuration requirements and instances. Further, Robotic process automation (RPA) is configured to process the requirements in the ERP/HRIS/HCM systems for automation. The system also provides a complete blueprint of the overall ERP/HRIS/HCM landscape. The system eliminates human error by automating the coding/configuration.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims the benefit of US provisional applicationU.S. 63/338,529 filed on 5 May 2022 entitled “SYSTEM AND METHOD FORPROCESSING REQUIREMENTS IN ERP AND HRIS”, the contents of which arehereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A. Technical Field

The present invention generally relates to an automation tool. Morespecifically, the present invention relates to a system and method formanaging configuration state and processing requirements automaticallyin an enterprise resource planning (ERP)/human resources informationsystem (HRIS)/human capital management system (HCM)/human experiencemanagement (HXM). Also, the present invention is configured to performcomparison and validation between different instances.

B. Description of Related Art

Automation tools are software applications used for testing variousapplications. These are installed in various applications for automaticoperations. one such application is ERP. In ERP, these automation toolsare used for removing manual interventions and errors in performing thetask and other functions. Many businesses today require automation toolsto work faster and easier.

The existing system needs manual creation of workbook that shows what iscurrently configured in the system. This system requires manual effortand expertise to analyze any reports or visualization of instancerequirements. It necessitated manual effort and expertise to locate,configure and document within the system. All functions such asconfiguration, comparison with other environments/instances, validationagainst an instance, and testing were entirely manual processes.

Few existing patent references attempted to address problems cited inthe background as prior art over the presently disclosed subject matterare explained as follows:

A prior art U.S. Ser. No. 11/138,540 B2 assigned to JayaramanKrishnamurthy, entitled “Creating digital workers in organizations”discloses the creation of digital workers to perform at least oneautomated task upon request. The digital worker may be created in anorganization upon receiving the request. For example, digital worker maybe a computer program to perform the at least one automated task.Credentials may be generated for the created digital worker. Thecredentials associated with the created digital worker may be updated inthe organizations' employee directory. The digital worker may be enabledto perform the at least one automated task upon updating the credentialsin the organizations' employee directory.

Another prior art US20210182996 A1 to Charles Howard Cella, et. Al.,entitled “Control tower and enterprise management platform withinformation from internet of things resources about supply chain anddemand management entities” discloses an information technology systemincluding a cloud-based management platform with a micro-servicesarchitecture having a set of microservices layers including anapplication layer supporting at least one supply chain application andat least one demand management application. The microservices layers caninclude a data collection layer that can collect information from a setof Internet of Things resources that collect information with respect tosupply chain entities and demand management entities related to thevalue chain network entities of the platform.

Another prior art US20210374479 A1 to Humberto Zambetti, et. Al.,entitled “Intelligent payment processing platform system and method”discloses a system and method of automating payment processing isdisclosed. Payment documents can be processed using an array of toolsincluding artificial intelligence integrated with the end-user's own ERParchitecture. The proposed implementations maintain a logicalsegregation of the documents, which may include the processing ofreceipts, validation of documents against ERP information, tax analysis,posting of documents, as well as real-time monitoring and support ofsettlement and accounts payable operations. Embodiments of this approachutilize enhanced optical character recognition (OCR) techniques inconjunction with robotic process automation (RPA) and Machine Learningto produce a platform capable of enabling these processes to runend-to-end with little to no human intervention or error.

Though the existing prior art discloses various systems for processingrequests automatically in ERP but none of them disclose a system thatgives the ERP/HRIS Admins or ERP/HRIS/HCM consultants the ability toconfigure, test, compare with different environments/instances, andvalidate across iterations/instances in ERP. Further, a system thatprocess request from a spreadsheet or document in ERP/HRIS automaticallyis not disclosed.

In light of the above-mentioned drawbacks, there is a need for a systemand method to process requests in an ERP/HRIS/HXM. Also, there is a needfor a system to process requirements automatically in an enterpriseresource planning (ERP)/human resources information system (HRIS)/humancapital management system (HCM). Further, there is a need for a systemthat aids in the implementation and sustainment activities ofERP/HRIS/HCM systems. Such system of the present invention is configuredto perform comparison and validation between differentenvironments/instances, thereby reducing time and effort after everyrelease, future risks, and operational gaps.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally discloses a computer-implemented systemand method for processing responses in an enterprise resource planning(ERP)/human resources information system (HRIS)//human capitalmanagement (HCM). The present invention further discloses a system andits methodology that aids in the implementation and sustainmentactivities of ERP/HRIS/HCM systems.

According to one embodiment, the system is executed in a networkenvironment for processing the requirements in ERP/HRIS/HCM. In oneembodiment, the system is an automation tool utilized for applicationsand products in data processing (SAP) SuccessFactors ERP/HRIS/HCM. Thesystem runs in the cloud computer-implemented environment configured toprocess requirements from a document/spreadsheet automatically usingrobotic process automation (RPA). In one embodiment, the system isdesigned for ease of use and to maximize the configuration informationvisible to Administrators and Consultants with help of spreadsheets ordashboard. In one embodiment, the system may be an application software,a mobile application, a web-based application, or a desktop application.

In one embodiment, the network environment comprises one or more uservirtual machine devices and a response management system. Each uservirtual machine device is associated with a user. In one embodiment, theuser virtual machine device is installed with a dedicated webapplication or application software. In one embodiment, the user virtualmachine device is deployed with a set of instructions or bots (i.e.,CodeBot). In one embodiment, the user virtual machine device receivesthe set of instructions from a spreadsheet and it updates the webapplication or database with the configuration steps, validation, etc.In one embodiment, the web application or software application isaccessible via the user virtual machine device. In one embodiment, theuser virtual machine device enables the user to access one or moreservices provided by the system. In one embodiment, the user virtualmachine device communicates with the response management system via acommunication network. In one embodiment, the user virtual machinedevice is enabled to access the response management system via thenetwork. In one embodiment, the user virtual machine device is at leastany one of a smartphone, a mobile phone, a tablet, a laptop, a desktop,and/or other suitable hand-held electronic communication devices. In oneembodiment, the user virtual machine device comprises a storage mediumin communication with the network to access the response managementsystem.

In one embodiment, the response management system comprises a server orcomputing device and one or more databases in communication with thecomputing device or a webserver. In one embodiment, the computing devicemay be a cloud server or combination of multiple cloud servers orcombination of virtual machines. In one embodiment, the database is incommunication with the computing device via the network. In oneembodiment, the database is accessible by the server. In one embodiment,the computing device comprises a processor and computer-readable mediumor memory unit coupled to the processor. The memory unit stores a set ofinstructions executable by the processor configured to process theresponse from the documents and spreadsheet to ERP/HRIS/HCM.

In one embodiment, the system is specific to uniquely map theconfiguration requirements to the ERP/HRIS/HCM instance. In oneembodiment, the system has an ability to configure, validate, compare,and test at the speed, frequency, and with precision provided the scaleof complexity within configuration requirements and instances. Thesystem ability may be combined with an opensource RPA technology. In oneembodiment, the configuration is automated to eliminate human errors,provide efficiency and scalability.

In one embodiment, the system is used to aid in the implementation,support, and sustainment activities of ERP/HRIS/HCM systems. The systemvalidates, compares, configures, and documents unit test requirements inthe spreadsheet with ERP/HRIS/HCM instances during pre-release andpost-release. In one embodiment, the system bridges the configurationrequirements, typically a workbook or through a dashboard, with theplatform or cloud instance. In one embodiment, the configurationrequirements are reverse engineering from the platform/cloud instance.The system gives end-users the ability to validate, compare, and testacross iterations/instances. In one embodiment, the system is configuredto perform comparison and validation between differentenvironments/instances. In one embodiment, the system is configured toperform comparison and validation between different instances forcloud-based ERP/HRIS/HCM like SAP SuccessFactors, Workday, Oracle, andany HXM platform. In one embodiment, the system is configured to performcomparison and validation between different instances, thereby reducingtime and effort after every release, future risks, and operational gaps.Further, the system enables strategic consulting on these ERP/HRIS/HCMsystems by providing a global view of the system landscape.

In one embodiment, the system is further combined with robotic processautomation (RPA) technology. In one embodiment, the system takesrequirements from a document/spreadsheet and instructs the Bot/RPA toconfigure requirements in the ERP/HRIS/HCM systems. In one embodiment,the system further provides a complete blueprint of the overallERP/HRIS/HCM landscape. In one embodiment, a large task is split intosmaller tasks managed by multiple simultaneous bots. These multiple botsaccomplish the tasks in a fraction of the time. In one embodiment, thesystem is designed for ease of use and to maximize the configurationinformation visible to end-users, administrators or consultants. Thisenables them to understand the system landscape more quickly.

In one embodiment, the system is a SaaS operated by logging into the webapplication with tile-modules, workspaces, and handful of actionbuttons. In one embodiment, the system enables the users to triggerbot(s) to perform different tasks across different modules ofERP/HRIS/HCM. The system leverages spreadsheet, for example, googlesheets/excel online/smart sheets, to document requirements. In oneembodiment, the users can change the requirements directly inspreadsheets online and trigger bots to perform configuration,validation, comparison, and documentation of requirements from/in theinstance.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention willbecome apparent from the following detailed description. It should beunderstood, however, that the detailed description and the specificexamples, while indicating specific embodiments of the invention, aregiven by way of illustration only, since various changes andmodifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will becomeapparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description ofthe invention, is better understood when read in conjunction with theappended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the invention,exemplary constructions of the invention are shown in the drawings.However, the invention is not limited to the specific methods andstructures disclosed herein. The description of a method step or astructure referenced by a numeral in a drawing is applicable to thedescription of that method step or structure shown by that same numeralin any subsequent drawing herein.

FIG. 1 shows a computer-implemented system executed in a networkenvironment configured to process one or more requirements in anenterprise resource planning (ERP)/human resources information system(HRIS)/human capital management (HCM) in an embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 2 shows a schematic flow diagram of configuration automation,comparison, and validation in one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 shows a schematic flow diagram of workbook generation in oneembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 shows an architecture of SAP SuccessFactors in one embodiment ofthe present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

A description of embodiments of the present invention will now be givenwith reference to the Figures. It is expected that the present inventionmay be embodied in other specific forms without departing from itsspirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to beconsidered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive.

Referring to FIG. 1 , a computer-implemented system executed in anetwork environment 100 for processing the requirements in an enterpriseresource planning (ERP)/human resources information system (HRIS)/humancapital management (HCM)/human experience management (HXM) isillustrated. In one embodiment, the system is an automation toolutilized for applications and products in data processing (SAP)SuccessFactors, Workday, Oracle, HXM platform, and other ERPs/HRIS/HCMSystem. The system runs in the computer-implemented environment 100configured to process requirements from a document/spreadsheetautomatically using robotic process automation (RPA). In one embodiment,the system is designed for ease of use and to maximize the configurationinformation visible to end-users. In one embodiment, the system may bean application software, a mobile application, a web-based application,or a desktop application.

In one embodiment, the network environment 100 comprises one or moreuser virtual machine devices or cloud system or virtual machines 102.Each user virtual machine device or virtual machine 102 is associatedwith user. In one embodiment, the user virtual machine device or virtualmachine 102 is installed with the dedicated web application orapplication software. In one embodiment, the user virtual machine device102 is deployed with a set of instructions or bots (i.e., CodeBot). Inone embodiment, the user virtual machine device 102 receives the set ofinstructions from a spreadsheet and it updates the web application ordatabase with the configuration steps, validation, etc. In oneembodiment, the web application or software application is accessiblevia the user virtual machine device 102. In one embodiment, the user canlog into the application software by registration/logging-in using oneor more user credentials. The system further comprises a communicationnetwork 104 and a response management system 106. In one embodiment, theuser virtual machine device 102 is enabled to access the responsemanagement system 106 via the network 104. In one embodiment, the uservirtual machine device 102 enables the user to access one or moreservices provided by the system. In one embodiment, the user virtualmachine device 102 is at least any one of a smartphone, a mobile phone,a tablet, a laptop, a desktop, and/or other suitable hand-heldelectronic communication devices. In one embodiment, the user virtualmachine device 102 comprises a storage medium in communication with thenetwork 104 to access the response management system 106. In anembodiment, the network 104 could be Wi-Fi, WiMAX, wireless local areanetwork (WLAN), satellite networks, cellular networks, private networks,and the like.

In one embodiment, the response management system 106 comprises acomputing device 108 and one or more databases 110 in communication withthe computing device 108. In one embodiment, the computing device 108 isa server. In one embodiment, the computing device 108 could be a cloudserver. In one embodiment, the server could be operated as a singlecomputer. In some embodiments, the computer could be a touchscreenand/or non-touchscreen and adopted to run on any type of OS, such asiOS™, Windows™, Android™, Unix™ Linux™, AWS Amazon Linux 2 and/orothers. In one embodiment, the plurality of computers is incommunication with each other, via networks. Such communication isestablished via any one of application software, a mobile application, abrowser, an OS, and/or any combination thereof.

In one embodiment, the database 110 is in communication with thecomputing device 108 via the network 104. In one embodiment, thedatabase 110 is accessible by the computing device 108. In anotherembodiment, the database 110 is integrated into the computing device 108or separate from it. In some embodiments, the database 110 resides in aconnected server or a cloud computing service. Regardless of location,the database 110 comprises a memory to store and organize certain datafor use by the computing device 108. In one embodiment, the database 110is configured to store a plurality of requirements from one or moredocuments or spreadsheets.

In one embodiment, the computing device 108 comprises a processor and acomputer-readable medium or memory unit coupled to the processor. Thememory unit stores a set of instructions executable by the processorconfigured to perform implementation and sustainment activities ofERP/HRIS/HCM. The memory unit could be RAM, and ROM (including EPROM,EEPROM, PROM). In one embodiment, the user virtual machine devices 102are configured to access the services provided by the computing device108 via the network 104. In one embodiment, the computing device 108 isconfigured to process the requirements from the document or spreadsheetin the ERP/HRIS/HCM and instructs the Bot/RPA (Robotic processautomation) to configure requirements in the ERP/HRIS/HCM systems.

In one embodiment, the system is specific to uniquely map theconfiguration requirements to the ERP/HRIS/HCM instance. In oneembodiment, the system has an ability to configure, validate, compare,and test at the speed, frequency, and with precision provided the scaleof complexity within configuration requirements and instances. Thesystem ability may be combined with an existing RPA technology. In oneembodiment, the configuration is automated to eliminate human errors.

In one embodiment, the system is used to aid in the implementation,support, and sustainment activities of ERP/HRIS/HCM systems. The systemvalidates, compares, configures, and documents unit test requirements inthe spreadsheet with ERP/HRIS/HCM instances during pre-release andpost-release. In one embodiment, the system bridges the configurationrequirements, typically a workbook consists of one or more worksheets,with the platform or cloud instance. In one embodiment, theconfiguration requirements are reverse engineering from theplatform/cloud instance. The system gives end-users the ability tovalidate, compare, and test across iterations/instances. In oneembodiment, the system is configured to perform comparison andvalidation between different instances. In one embodiment, the system isconfigured to perform comparison and validation between differentinstances for cloud-based ERP/HRIS/HCM like SAP SuccessFactors, Workday,Oracle, and HXM platform. In one embodiment, the system is configured toperform comparison and validation between different instances, therebyreducing time and effort after every release, future risks, andoperational gaps. Further, the system enables strategic consulting onthese ERP/HRIS/HCM systems by providing a global view of the systemlandscape.

In one embodiment, the system is further combined with robotic processautomation (RPA) technology. In one embodiment, the system takesrequirements from a document/spreadsheet and instructs the Bot/RPA toconfigure requirements in the ERP/HRIS/HCM/HXM systems. In oneembodiment, the system further provides a complete blueprint of theoverall ERP/HRIS/HCM/HXM landscape. In one embodiment, a large task issplit into smaller tasks managed by multiple simultaneous bots. Thesemultiple bots accomplish the tasks in a fraction of the time. In oneembodiment, the system is designed for ease of use and to maximize theconfiguration information visible to end-users, administrators, orconsultant. This enables them to understand the system landscape morequickly.

In one embodiment, the system is a SaaS operated by logging into the webapplication with tile-modules, workspaces, and handful of actionbuttons. In one embodiment, the system enables the users to triggerbot(s) to perform different tasks across different modules ofERP/HRIS/HCM/HXM. The system leverages spreadsheet, for example, googlesheets/excel/open-source spreadsheet, to document requirements. In oneembodiment, the users can change the requirements directly inspreadsheets and trigger bots to perform configuration, validation,comparison, and documentation of requirements from/in the instance.

Referring to FIG. 2 , a schematic flow diagram 200 of a process ofconfiguration automation, comparison, and validation are illustrated.The process utilizes a combination of RPA, API, and some proprietarymethods. In one embodiment, the configuration and validation are doneusing RPA technology. The process performs the following steps. At step202, the user executes the set of instructions the perform theconfiguration. At step 204, the RPA configures the data such as entitiesand elements. At step 206, the set of instructions validate theconfiguration data such as elements and entities. In one embodiment, theconfiguration data is accessible using the web. At step 208, the set ofinstructions highlights one or more cells in the workbook. The cells arehighlighted in different colors to represent ‘failure’ and ‘success’. Inone embodiment, one or more cells are highlighted in red color torepresent ‘failure’. In one embodiment, one or more cells arehighlighted in green color to represent ‘‘success’.

Referring to FIG. 3 , a schematic flow diagram of 300 of workbookgeneration is illustrated. In one embodiment, the user generates theworkbook. In one embodiment, the user generated workbook comprises ausername to access the SAP SuccessFactors. The workbook generationcomprises the following steps. At step 302, the workbook is generatedusing RPA technology. The configuration data utilized during workbookgeneration could be accessible only by the web. At step 304, theworkbook is generated using rest API. In one embodiment, theconfiguration data is exposed using API.

Referring to FIG. 4 , an architecture 400 of SAP SuccessFactors isillustrated. The architecture 400 comprises a virtual private cloud(VPC) system 402. In one embodiment, the VPC 402 comprises one or moremodules including, but not limited to, a web portal 404, at least onedatabase 406, a set of instructions (i.e., CodeBot) 408. The user maycommunicate with the VPC 402 via the web portal 404. In one embodiment,the database 406 may be Relational Database Service (RDS). In oneembodiment, the set of instructions update the web application ordatabase with the configuration steps, validation, etc. Further, the VPC402 communicates with the SAP, Cloud based spreadsheet tool like GoogleCloud, Office 365, etc. via RPA and rest API 410. In one embodiment, thearchitecture 400 further comprises a plurality of data processingoptions 412. The plurality of data processing options includes, but notlimited to, EC2 Instance, RDS DB Master, RDS DB Standby, Cloud Watch,Internet Gateway, Availability Zone, Security Groups, Route Table,Simple Mail Service, Cloud Watch, Lambda, S3 Bucket, Elastic LoadBalancer (ELB), Autoscaling Group, VPN Gateway, Security Group, IAM,Dynamo DB, SQS Queue, Elastic Beanstalk, AWS Fargate, and AWS KubernetesService.

Advantageously, the system of the present invention saves time, which inturn saves money. It also helps to realize the acceleration/adoption ofthe ERP/HRIS/HCM/HXM solution faster than the existing systems. Thesystem further eliminates human error as coding/configuration isautomated. By eliminating redundant tasks, the system also makesperforming the work more enjoyable.

Preferred embodiments of this invention are described herein, includingthe best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the invention. Itshould be understood that the illustrated embodiments are exemplary onlyand should not be taken as limiting the scope of the invention.

The foregoing description comprise illustrative embodiments of thepresent invention. Having thus described exemplary embodiments of thepresent invention, it should be noted by those skilled in the art thatthe within disclosures are exemplary only, and that various otheralternatives, adaptations, and modifications may be made within thescope of the present invention. Merely listing or numbering the steps ofa method in a certain order does not constitute any limitation on theorder of the steps of that method. Many modifications and otherembodiments of the invention will come to mind to one skilled in the artto which this invention pertains having the benefit of the teachings inthe foregoing descriptions. Although specific terms may be employedherein, they are used only in generic and descriptive sense and not forpurposes of limitation. Accordingly, the present invention is notlimited to the specific embodiments illustrated herein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A computer-implemented system for processingrequirements in an enterprise resource planning (ERP)/human resourcesinformation system (HRIS)/human capital management (HCM), wherein thecomputer-implemented system is a Software as a Service (SaaS) operatedby logging into a web application with one or more tile-modules, one ormore workspaces, and a plurality of action buttons, consisting of: acomputing device having at least one processor and a computer-readablemedium coupled to the processor, the computer-readable medium comprisesa set of instructions executable by the processor configured to performimplementation and sustainment activities of ERP/HRIS/HCM, wherein thesystem is in communication with the computing device through acommunication network; one or more databases in communication with thecomputing device via the communication network configured to store aplurality of configuration requirements from one or more documents orspreadsheets, and one or more user virtual machine devices associatedwith a user in communication with the computing device via thecommunication network configured to perform different tasks acrossdifferent modules of ERP/HRIS/HCM, wherein the processor is configuredto; map the configuration requirements to one or more ERP/HRIS/HCMinstances, and provide an ability to configure, validate, compare, andtest at the speed, frequency and with precision provided in a scale ofcomplexity within the configuration requirements and one or moreERP/HRIS/HCM instances, wherein the system connects the configurationrequirements with the platform or cloud instance, and wherein theconfiguration requirements are reverse engineering from the platform orcloud instance.
 2. The system of claim 1, provides ability to configure,validate, compare against different environments/instances, and test alarge scale and complex configuration requirements in spreadsheet,dashboard or report with one or more ERP/HRIS instances.
 3. The systemof claim 1, wherein the user virtual machine device is configured tocommunicate with the computing device via the communication networkusing an application software or mobile application or web-basedapplication, or desktop application executed in a computer-implementedenvironment or network environment.
 4. The system of claim 1, whereinthe configuration is automated to eliminate redundant tasks and humanerrors and the system is utilized for SAP SuccessFactors, Workday,Oracle HCM or HXM platform in order to take requirements from thedocument/spreadsheet and instruct the RPA (Robotic process automation)to configure the requirements in the ERP/HRIS/HCM systems.
 5. The systemof claim 1, is combined with the existing RPA to configure requirementsin one or more ERP/HRIS/HCM systems.
 6. (canceled)
 7. (canceled)
 8. Thesystem of claim 1, splits a large task into multiple smaller tasksmanaged by executing the set of instructions simultaneously.
 9. Thesystem of claim 8, wherein the set of instructions accomplish varioustasks in a fraction of the time.
 10. The system of claim 1, maximizesthe configuration information visible to end-users.
 11. The system ofclaim 1, allows users to trigger the set of instructions to performdifferent tasks across different modules of ERP/HRIS/HCM/HXM.
 12. Thesystem of claim 1, allows users to change requirements directly inspreadsheets and trigger the set of instructions to performconfiguration, validation, comparison, and documentation of requirementsin the instance.
 13. (canceled)
 14. The system of claim 1, wherein thevirtual machine device is at least any one of a smartphone, a mobilephone, a tablet, a laptop, a desktop, and/or other suitable hand-heldelectronic communication devices.